Just some stuff

Conservatives & Lib Dem Pact

I've just been reading the Pact between the Conservatives & Lib Dems and I must confess I have not so far thrown my laptop across the room in frustration. There are some elements of it that I find a bit disturbing, like this:

This legislation will also provide for dissolution if 55% or more of the House votes in favour.

The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to reverse the substantial erosion of

civil liberties under the Labour Government and roll back state intrusion.

This will include:

– A Freedom or Great Repeal Bill.

– The scrapping of ID card scheme, the National Identity register, the next generation of

biometric passports and the Contact Point Database.

– Outlawing the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.

– The extension of the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater

transparency.

– Adopting the protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database.

– The protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury.

– The restoration of rights to non-violent protest.

– The review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.

– Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation.

– Further regulation of CCTV.

– Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason.

– A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences.

I think that the above is a vital piece of policy and am delighted to read it. The labour government managed to bring in a large amount of policies designed to infringe our civil liberties and this great repeal is music to my ears. The only item I see missing is the repeal of the Digital economy Act which was so undemocratically pushed through in washup by the corrupt Mandleson.